The loss of soft tissue in the face produces unwanted depressions and valleys, especially around the eyes, in the cheeks, and over the jaw line. Soft tissue loss can be restored either by adding to the soft tissue with synthetic fillers or autogenous fat taken from ones own body, or by enhancing the underlying facial bones with solid implants.

The emerging science of moving fat from one part of the body (usually thighs or abdomen) to other parts of the body (usually the face and occasionally the breasts and buttocks) has coined the phrase "fat is the soft tissue filler of the future". Fat has three advantages:

1. fat is safe
2. the supply is inexhaustable
3. it permits sculpting of any and all facial features

The field of synthetic fillers continues to expand almost on a monthly basis and their use is customized to the patients needs. Most are labeled "non-permanent".